Fifth-wheel connection



March 3051926. 1,578,644

l M; COLLINS FIFTH WHEEL CONNECTION Filed March 6, 1925 2 Sheets-heet 2 i I i /7/ Patented YMar. 30, v1926.

UNITE-n STATES PATENT OFlfjlCFu f MICHAELCOLLINS, o'F Jormmmissouai,

' krALIAELNDS AND 3. E.y DAVIS, ,BOTH OF JOPLIN, `MISSOURI., i. l;

- "firma-WHEEL CONNECTION l To (AZZ fzef'zomz't may concerl .Y

Be it known that I, Miei-Linn COLLINS,

citizen of thel United States of'A'merica, re-

' siding vat `Joplin, in the' county of, aspei and State: ofMissournfhave iiive'nted'cei'- tain new andfusefulImprovements'in Fifth- VWheelV Connectionsof which the following is' "a specification.

This invention relates to newiand" useful vimpi'oi'iements in fifth wheel connections.

, kTheobj ect of theinventionfis*toprovide `a turninfr connection between thefront run-4 ning gear'and the body ror frame support of i a wagonk body, road scraper or other vehicie,

capable 0f compensating a'tiltingmovement eitherofthebody or the axle'. .l A particular object is to provideaturntable mountedto rocllate'rally ony a draft 'table attached'to an axle, wherebytlie line of ldraft is in substantially; the. saine horizontal plane as the axis of the hinge of the turn-table and the draft table;

A, construction `designed to carry out the invention will be hereinafter describedto-KV r gether with other features of the invention.

The invention will be more readily understood from a reading of the following specification and by reference to the accompanying drawings, in which an example of the invention is shown, and wherein: i .p

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a fifth wheel connection'constructed in accordance with I my invention,

1 Alongitudinally of the center of the said rear portion of the tablel is a pair of spaced ears 13; a pair of spaced ears 14 are disposed transversely across the front po'rtionofthe table .at substantially right angles to the ears 13. This front portion of the draft vtable extends a substantial distance for wardly from itsrear turntable supporting n portion and forms a. draft coupler portion,

as hereinafter described.

front elevation of the saine,

an even forwardjpull on the tables. will be seenv that where the line of draft isV scope of the appended claims.

AssIGnoRoF ONE-HALF 'io i Y The bottoinplatel of aftulr'n 'table .has 'i Y depending' Years; 16 v`disposed 1 diametrically: and spaced 'to stiraddlethe ears y13'. Aghinge pin 17 passes,through theears 13 and :1Gv

rand hinges the platenl ony the table11', so that either the table or'theplate may rock Yrelatively of each other.r king jpin 4or "pivot studl V18 extends' vertically fionifthe center of the plate 15. l A The upper circular plate or inember19'of the 'turn tablerests upon the plate 15Kan'd "has a central upstanding sleeve 20 integral therewith through whichthe pin 18 extends'. The pinl projects above the yupper end of the vsleeve "and lreceives a washer 21 which rests upontli'e sleeve. MA cotter key 22v passing through' thepin bears'on the washer and prevents upwardv displacementofy the 'sleeve on the pin.

'A supporting y arm wardlyfand `upwardly 'and may be" attached to a wagon body, road scraper, grader or other'vehiclewith which the connection is used. Radial brace webs 24 extend from the plate 19.up'to thesleeve atsubstantially' equally spaced points around the table with relation to support 23. It will be seen `that the plate 15 vandthepin 18,togethei-with the table 11v and front 10, may turn freely p 23 formedfintegralw with the sleevejand plate 19 extendsvre'ar#y in the sleevei 2O and under the table. 19.

Also through'the rhinge connection the parts may tilt laterally. y

Draft connections 25 are `hingedtovthe ears 14eand in turnv are fastened to "a tongue p 26. It will be noted,y that the axis of theU bolts 27 connecting'the parts laand 25 is in the saine horizontalplane (Fig. 8)` as is the vaxis 17 Vconnecting' the two. tables. This is one of the important features of the invention because .the line of draft being in the same plane as the hinge connect-ion assures above the hinge pin thetendency is Vtolift the draft. ytable vand swing the axis Vforwardly,thus making an unequal strain.; and where the line of draft is below said action is reversed.`

Various changes inthe size andshape of the different parts, `as well" as modificationspin thek land alterations, may be made within. the

kWhat I claim is :A

tary formation and having a rearturntable supporting portion and a front draft coupler'portion integral therewith, a transverse axle disposed beneath and fixed to said turntable supporting portion,` a turn-table mounted on said turntable supporting portion to tilt laterally on a horizontal axis extending longitudinally of thef draft table, and a draft element pivotedv to the front draft coupler portion of the draft table to swing vertically on a horizontal axis transverse to the draft table, the said axes of the turntable and draft element being so disposed as to lie substantially in the same horizontal plane. a y e 2. In a fifth-wheel, a draft table compris- `ing an oblong rectangular plate having al rear turntable supporting portion anda front draft coupler portion, a transverse axle extending beneath and Vfixed to the turntable supporting portion of the draft table, a pair of 'apertured ears extending upwardly from they turntable supporting portion in thel center line thereof vand in front and rear of the vertical plane of the axle, a turntable, the base member of which is provided with a series of three depending apertured ears lying in front and in rear andV between the first-mentioned apertured ears, a hinge pin extending` horizontally through Said apertured a ears and hingedly support-ing the turntable to tilt `laterally on a horizontal longitudinal axis,

of the turntable and draft .element being l disposed substantially in the same horizontal plane. Y v

3. In a fifth wheel, an axle, a horizontal draft table .mounted at its rear portion on the axle, hinge ears extending upward from and disposed longitudinally ofthe draft table relatively on .each side of the axle,.1up standing draft ears at the front of the draft table at right angle to the table ears the saidhinge ears and draft ears being arranged substantially in the same horizontal plane, a turn-table plate having depending ears hinged to the draft table ears, a king pin on the saidplate, a .second turn table-plate mounted to vrotate on the first plate, a draft element hinged to the draft ears at the front of the draft table, and a 'support extending from the second plate.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

' MICHAEL COLLINS. 

